Linda P.B. Katehi, University of California Davis chancellor, was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday pending an investigation into reports she paid to scrub her and the university's negative online reputation.

"Information has recently come to light that raises serious questions about whether Chancellor Katehi may have violated several University of California policies," UC system president Janet Napolitano said in a statement that also referenced "questions about the campus’ employment and compensation of some of the chancellor’s immediate family members, the veracity of the chancellor’s accounts of her involvement in contracts related to managing both the campus’s and her personal reputation on social media, and the potential improper use of student fees."

One consultant reportedly called the references, "venomous rhetoric about UC Davis and the chancellor."

The Washington Post reported this week that, "Because of the Bee’s revelations, the scrubbing effort backfired badly, producing a mountain of negative publicity that ultimately served only to repeat thousands of times over details of the pepper-spraying incident that the consultants were attempting to erase from the public’s memory."

Katehi's lawyer, Melinda Guzman, released a statement of defense this week on her behalf.

"This smacks of scapegoating and a rush to judgment driven purely by political optics, not the best interests of the university or the UC system as a whole," Guzman wrote. "The Chancellor welcomes an independent, objective investigation and a full release of all relevant documents and public records. Make no mistake: we intend to vigorously defend Linda’s professional reputation and her standing as Chancellor of the university she loves."

Linda P.B. Katehi, University of California Davis chancellor, was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday pending an investigation into reports she paid to scrub her and the university's negative online reputation.